Missoula Police Investigating Sexual Assault on M Trail

A sexual assault case that reportedly occurred on University of Montana property is now under investigation by the Missoula Police Department.

"What I can tell you is that yesterday, late afternoon [February 16] we received a call about a report of a potential sexual assault on the trail, or somewhere on the mountain leading to the 'M'," said UM Vice President for Integrated Communications Peggy Kuhr. "That has been in the early phases of investigation and now, at this point, Wednesday, it has been turned over to Missoula Police."

No details about any possible suspects have been released in the investigation's early stages. Kuhr said the report came in between 4:00 and 4:30 P.M. in the afternoon. Cases are typically only transferred to the Missoula Police Department if they involve felony persons crimes.

Eye witnesses reported seeing a woman wheeled off of the m on a stretcher, but UM Police Chief Marty Ludeman says that the victim did not have a broken leg and that the use of a stretcher was just protocol. Ludeman says the crime scene was located about half way up the left m –trail.